Walkers - attention

Hello Walkers

 

Please plan to join the Board of the Hudson River Waterfront Conservancy on Sunday June 12th for our second Walk the Walkway tour of 2011 in downtown Jersey City. Our first tour on May 1 was a spectacular walk through Liberty State Park.  This one will be even better as we view Lower Manhattan from downtown Jersey City. 

 

Go to www.hudsonriverwaterfront.org for more information, travel directions and to register.

 

The Hudson River Waterfront Conservancy
www.hudsonriverwaterfront.org

June Newsletter

Hamilton Park Neighborhood Association Newsletter

June 2011 Issue

NEXT MEETING: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1^st, 7:30 PM CORDERO SCHOOL

PARKFEST IS CALLING FOR VENDORS AND VOLUNTEERS!

Summer is rapidly approaching!  And PARKFEST on June 11^th (raindate June 12^th) is right around the corner.  If you would like to participate as a commercial or an individual vendor, or a non-profit, you can download at hpnajc.blogspot.com your vendor application.  For HPNA members, there are discounts.  If you or your company would like to sponsor PARKFEST, to provide a prize for our raffle or to volunteer, please email hpnaparkfest@gmail.com.

Do you want to reduce your energy bills? Would you want to have a garden on the roof?

Come to June’s Meeting, June 1^st at 7:30 at Cordero School, 9th and Erie!

At the meeting, vendors will present solutions on improving your heating bills through new heating systems and on installing a “living roof” that reduces energy bills and waste water. We will be discussing the upcoming PARKFEST and how to spend revenue generated from the PARKFEST raffle, such as installing additional trash, recycling cans, and benches in the park, providing doggie bags for the dog runs, purchasing a flag for the playground flagpole, offering stipends for planting new trees around the neighborhood and installing more trash cans in the neighborhood.

Look for your new membership card in your mailbox!

We are in the process of mailing or dropping off the new HPNA membership cards. You can use your membership card for special promotions in your neighborhood businesses distinguished by the HPNA business member sign.

The following businesses support the neighborhood, the community, and the HPNA: Tailor’s Touch, Madame Claude’s Wine Shop, Delenio’s, Parkside Bistro, White Star, Salon X, Smith and Chang’s General Goods, Mastrolia Pharmacy, Holmes Outfitters, Monmouth Street Deli, and Christos’.

You can become a member by downloading the membership form from hpnajc.blogspot.com or by email hpnajc@gmail.com. The annual household membership is only $10 and you can always join HPNA for multiple years!

Support your neighbors, friends, parks, and community!

FARMERS’ MARKET is bigger and better than ever!

HPNA’s farmers’ market started in mid-May during an intense spring storm. On each of the coming Wednesdays – rain or shine between 4 and 8 PM, you can buy from our 5 great vendors: Stony Hill Farms, Hoboken Farms, Cocoa Bakery, Lizzmonade and Westco. Tell a friend or bring a friend! There is a lot of good, healthy food, and it is also great fun.

Recycling in Hamilton Park?

There is no recycling in the park and it has been a concern of many of our neighbors. HPNA is working on creating a committee to work on installing recycling in the park. Our first step is to invite the JC Incinerator Authority to our July meeting to inform on residential recycling and trash pick-up, and to discuss the potential implementation of a recycling program in the Park. If you would like to work with this out, please contact Amy at hpnajc@gmail.com.

Does your block need a new trash can?

A lot of garbage is littering our sidewalks. Installing a new trash requires neighborhood support. If you and your neighbors believe that your street needs a new trash can, HPNA has developed a simple petition to sign. 15 residents in the immediate area need to sign a petition to have a trash can installed on your street. If you want a copy of this petition, email hpnajc@gmail.com and we will email it to you. When the JCIA comes to the July neighborhood meeting, it would offer a great opportunity to present these signed petitions to the JCIA.

Check out the community garden in Enos Jones Playground!

The John DeSalvo Playground Community Garden Group was recently organized by five residents, who have created a community group that adopted the corner of the playground at Enos Jones Park under the Jersey City Adopt-A-Lot program. Their vision is to create a beautiful flower garden and a space dedicated for hands-on gardening experiences for neighbors, families, and children. You are invited to join this group and become involved in designing, planting, and maintaining the garden.

On June 7th, at 7pm, we will hold an open meeting on the second floor in the Enos Jones clubhouse to discuss possible designs for the garden. We encourage all neighbors to attend to learn more about the garden, and to offer their ideas on the future of the garden considering that

the city prohibits the planting of vegetables. 

The group has its own Google Groups page with information on the garden and allows anyone to join https://groups.google.com/group/john-desalvo-playground-community-gardening-group.  Alternatively, you can email jennyjobarteh@hotmail.com, or call Jan at 201-403-7956.

The Hamilton Park Watch Group is the "eyes and ears" for the JCPD in the park, and reports any suspicious or illegal activity immediately to the JCPD.  The group and its members are dedicated to helping make our park a safe place to visit for children, neighbors, and visitors. Please join us at: http://groups.google.com/group/hamilton-park-watch-group.

The newly started Hamilton Park Greens Committee keeps the greens in the park clean and pretty.  It meets on Saturdays at 10 AM, weather permitting.  Come and pull weeds, meet your neighbor, and have some fun. Please email Jan at jnord5852@aol.com for more information.

The Hamilton Park Cleanup Group is looking for more volunteers to keep the park trash free. Currently there are three evening shifts (7 PM) and two weekend shifts (9 AM) each week. If you can spare half an hour, once or twice per month, to keep the park clean, please contact Di Webber at diwebber@verizon.net for more information to join the group.

UPCOMING EVENTS

·         Every Wednesday – Farmers’ Market, 4 – 8 PM

·         June 1^st – June’s HPNA Meeting: “Green” Home Improvement Ideas

·         June 4^th – LCCS June-A-Polooza, 12:00 – 5:00 PM, (rain date June 5^th)

·         June 7th – Enos Jones Community Garden Meeting, 7 PM

·         June 11^th – PARKFEST, 10 AM – 6 PM, (rain date June 12^th)

·         July 6th – July’s HPNA Meeting: Trash, Trash, and Recycling and Where’s the Bus?

JC Public Library's Summer Reading Program

Greetings:

It is with much expectation and enthusiasm, the children of Jersey City are invited each year to participate in the annual Jersey City Free Public Library Summer Reading Program, one of the most successful and rewarding programs the Library offers to the public. The program runs for 8 weeks from end of June to August and is offered in the Bonetti Children’s Room at the Main Library and in all library branches throughout the City, it includes children from public, charter, parochial and home-schooled children. The Bookmobile is also on hand to fill in any gaps at local parks, festivals, and summer schools sessions. This program attracts over 500 children each year, who collectively read over 2,000 books every summer! 

This year, the New Jersey Statewide Summer Reading Program (SRP) theme is "One World, Many Stories" for children in grades K-5. Imagine all the wonderful places children can read about! The accompanying activities – crafts, movies, and participating in educational/recreational trips – punctuate the theme, while creating lifelong friendships in a safe environment.  A separate program theme, "You are Here," which is for young adults in grades 6-8 and up,  is specially geared to bring in those hard-to-reach, “too old to read” young adults by offering them special performers, movies, trips and crafts, while encouraging them to read to the top of the charts! 

The Library provides a warm, supervised and welcoming environment, surrounded by their peers, where they can listen to, discuss and read books on topics they select, and the program encourages continued reading independently in the future.  Students participating in public library summer reading programs scored higher on reading achievement tests at the beginning of the next school year, and were more motivated and confident in their reading.

The Library is eager to start preparations, for we want parents and children alike to know the Library will be available to them, again, this coming summer. However, due to massive cuts in the Library’s budget t  your help is needed to implement the program.  All contributions are tax deductible and can be made out to the Jersey City Free Public Library Foundation / 2011 Summer Reading Program.

Please contact me at (201) 547-4549, or by email, saraujo@..., with your desire to help the Library’s Summer Reading Program in 2011!

Respectfully,

Sonia Araujo

P.S. Your monetary or in-kind contribution can assure the safety and happiness of Jersey City children this summer by helping them gain access to a world of learning through reading at their local library, along with access to a summer of fun! The Gold Coast can be made more golden if the opportunity to achieve is open to everyone, especially to our children. Please check out the attached Wish List to see how you can help!

Here are a few of the expenses that we will incur for the 2011 Summer Reading Program. We understand the economy is hard for everyone; however, you can make the difference.  The following is a breakdown of expenses:

Incentives: T-Shirts, bookmarks, key rings, erasers, pencils& certificates for Children &YAs - $ 1,200.00

Children’s Trip: 80-90 children, with chaperones, to Keansburg Amusement Park - $ 1,600.00             

YA trip: 80-90 Young Adults, with chaperones, to Great Adventure - $ 2,500.00                                     

One day @ Camp Liberty in Liberty State Park for 125-150 children, transportation & snacks included:  Children are able to swim, play ball, do crafts, and experience camp for a day, free of charge       $ 2,000.00

Transportation: Four buses @ 500.00 each  - $ 2,000.00                                                                            

Craft Materials: Paper, glue, glitter, magic makers, paints, brushes, and other art supplies for 500 participants -    $ 1,600.00

Movies/DVDs: Purchase on themes for both Children/YAs  - $ 1,740.00                                                 

Refreshments: Participants are awarded a Certificate of Achievement at culmination parties, whether they read

one or 100 books. All children/YAs from branches /departments participate in their achievements! - $ 3,300.00

                                                                                                                                              

Total Expenses for SRP 2011

$  1,200.00   Incentives

$  1,600.00   Children’s Trip

$  2,500.00   YA Trip

$  2,000.00   Camp Liberty admission, transportation & food

$  2,000.00   Trip Transportation

$  1,600.00   Craft Materials

$  1,740.00   Movies/DVDs

$  3,300.00   Refreshments

_________

$15, 940.00  GRAND TOTAL

    

Please make your tax-deductible donations payable to: Jersey City Free Public Library Foundation, Inc. / 2011 Summer Reading Program. Please send to: 472 Jersey Avenue, Jersey City, New Jersey 07302,

ATTN: Priscilla Gardner, Executive Director

Greens Group - Call for Volunteers!

Volunteer Greens Group

Hamilton Park!

   

We Need Your Help

To Keep Our Park Beautiful!

 

If you are interested in joining us

please come to Hamilton Park at 6pm 

on Friday, May 27, 2011!

 

It's time!  Our park needs some sprucing up!

 

Thank you everyone for coming out and joining us last Saturday! We weeded the mulched flower beds near the large water fountain and filled 10 large lawn/leaf bags! Great job!

 

Due to Memorial weekend celebration this weekend, we are meeting this Friday instead of Saturday. 

 

On Friday, please wear appropriate clothing, footwear, garden gloves, and bring a water.  I have extra gloves if you do not have a pair and I have various tools for us to use.  If you have pruners, spades, loppers, bring them!

 

There is plenty for us to do, and we are taking it one weed at a time! 

See you Friday at 6pm! Don't worry if you can't be there at 6pm, once we get there we are there for quite a while!  Come!!!  It's so much fun and relaxing!

 

Best,

 

Jan

201-403-7956

 

Trash Pick UP -- calling for volunteers!

Trash Pick-Up – If you are interested in reducing the trash in the HP, please sign up for a day a week, once every two weeks, 3 times during the summer. Any help is appreciated.  Please email Diane at diwebber@verizon.net if you are interested in helping.

City Council Meeting Tonight and HCA asks for your support

We are a Downtown Jersey City neighborhood association that was formed in 1999 to provide a forum and voice for residents within our boundaries. We love living in Harsimus Cove, and we're working together to make our great neighborhood even better. Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.

Dear Friends and Neighbors, At tomorrow's City Council meeting, the ordinance that designates the property at 8 Erie Street (more commonly known as the Jersey City Police Department headquarters and its adjacent parking lot) as an Area in Need of Redevelopment will have its second reading and be voted upon by the City Council. We, the residents of Harsimus Cove, stand against this proposal to place the property under a Redevelopment Plan and urge everyone to come to the meeting and let your feelings be heard by the City Council. The meeting will be held in the Council Chambers at City Hall (280 Grove Street), Wednesday May 25 starting at 6pm. If you can't attend, please call or email the City Council, especially Council President Brennan and Councilpersons-at-Large Kalimah Ahmad and Ray Velazquez, Jr. with your objections to the proposal. You can find their telephone and email details here. Talking Points Looking for the right words to convey your thoughts?  Here are the issues as we see them: The City must not rush to place this property under a Redevelopment Plan, lest we end up with a situation similar to the Powerhouse Arts District Redevelopment Plan, which was approved, yet later gutted by the City Council to pave the way for Toll Brothers' as-yet unbuilt towers of 30, 35 and 40 stories on the site of the historic Manischewitz building. The City's asking price of about $3-4 million for the 8 Erie Street property—prime real estate in historic Downtown Jersey City—is alarmingly low, as anybody who has recently looked at the price of a single-family row house in Harsimus Cove can tell you. Placing the property under a Redevelopment Plan opens up the possibility of granting the designated developer tax abatements, which for Downtown and the Waterfront areas are outdated, fiscally irresponsible and dangerous. We continue to accept PILOTs (payments in lieu of taxes) to the detriment of our school system and the long-term fiscal health of the City. No abatements should be given to any developer of 8 Erie. Abatements should be reserved for neighborhoods that have a hard time attracting developers, or to build affordable housing.  The sale of 8 Erie Street should be conducted via a transparent and open process, with input from local residents and business owners, the community who will be most affected by the property's redevelopment. The ordinance is bad for the neighborhood, bad for underserved areas of the city and bad for Jersey City's financial future. The City Council should do the right thing and vote down the ordinance. Thank you for your attention and we hope to see you tomorrow evening at the City Council meeting. Please bear in mind that second readings happen first on the agenda, so it's important that speakers get there as close to 6pm as possible. You do not have to call to get on the speaker's list; the City Clerk will ask if any members of the public have something to say on the ordinance that is about to be voted on. Sincerely, Mike Francisco President, Harsimus Cove Association

East District Captain's meeting

The next East District Captain's Meeting is scheduled for, Tuesday, May 24, 2011, 7:00 p.m. at M.S.4 (Bright and Varick St.).

Captain Connors, East District Commander, will discuss crime and quality of life issues in the East District and respond to all questions, issues and concerns. 

The Captain's Meeting is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC and it is in the best interest of east district residents to attend.  Please pass this information along to all community members, neighbors, family and friends.  We encourage and hope to see you at the Captain's Meeting.
Please confirm attendance by sending an e-mail to policeeast@njjcps.org by Monday, May 23, 2011.

 

Art House Productions!

Art House Productions presents The Laugh Tour: An evening of hilarious Stand Up Comedy featuring Comedy Central's LOUIS KATZ w/BEN KISSEL and RICH KIAMCO
Also Appearing
Charles McBee, Samatha DeRose, Abbi Crutchfield, Kelley Lynn and more
 
DATE/TIMESaturday June 4
 7pm     MIXER
 8pm     SHOW
 
TICKETS [no drink minimum]$15 advance
$20 door
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/176265
24/7 Ticket Hotline Brown Paper Tickets: 1-800-838-3006
 
WEBSITE Tour info, video clips
 http://www.TheLaughTour.com

Facebookhttp://www.facebook.com/TheLaughTour?ref=ts
Twitterhttp://twitter.com/TheLaughTour

VENUEART HOUSE 1 McWilliams Place, 6th Floor
HAMILTON PARK SE corner
Jersey City, NJ 07302

Parkfest is around the corner!

HI. HPNA is looking for vendors - commerical, individual, food and non-profits. PARKFEST attracts a couple of thousand people each year who come together to celebrate the neighborhood, park and all the wonderful talent in the area. This year it will be on June 11th with a raindate of June 12th. There will be food, games, music, and stuff to sell. Please register now. The registration form is a link. If you can't access it, please email hpnajc@gmail.com. Any questions, please email as well.

Thanks and we look forward to seeing you at Parkfest!

christopher columbus construction

The milling of CCD has been completed as of last week Friday.  The utility companies are now working in the roadway to replace or adjust their manholes and valve boxes. Some lane closures will be necessary to facilitate this operation which may take up to two weeks. We anticipate asphalt paving of CCD will begin on Monday May 23, 2011 and should be completed by Wednesday or Thursday of that week.

Because there are so many manholes and other features within the CCD roadway, we need to pave during the daylight hours to ensure a good smooth quality, and to minimize disturbance to the residents due to the anticipated noise and vibration.

Chuck F. Lee, P.E.

City Engineer

Wednesday May 4th meeting - speakers

Do you enjoy the Hamilton Park?  Have questions about maintenance, recreation activities, safety?
Concerned about kid safety as summer approaches?  Come to Hamilton Park Neighborhood Association general Meeting.
We have the following people speaking



-P. O. Dina Reilly-East District Community Relations Officer
-Pam Andes-JCDowntown Watch
-Director Rodney Hadley-
Public Works
-Cynthia Blue along w/Pat Devaney-Coordinator of Program & Activities @ Hamilton Park, DPW
-Brian Weller-JC Architect
-Diane Webber-Volunteer Hamilton Park Clean Up Group.


Wednesday, May 4th,  7:45 pm at Cordero School, 9th and Erie.

Any questions, email me at hpnajc@gmail.com

Thanks.

Amy

new traffic/construction alerts

Effective Monday, May 2, 2011 major road construction (milling in preparation for paving) is scheduled for Christopher Columbus Drive between Brunswick and Warren St. from 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and will continue through Friday, May 6, 2011.

Please be advised a Newport 10K race is scheduled for Saturday, May 7, 2011 with race starting at 8:30 a.m. Please expect traffic delays in the Newport and Paulus Hook areas between 8:30 and 10:00 a.m.  

 

Please distribute this information so that all can plan their morning accordingly.

  

May's newsletter

Hamilton Park Neighborhood Association Newsletter

Volume 2011 –MAY

NEXT MEETING:

WEDNESDAY, MAY 4TH , 7:45 PM CORDERO SCHOOL

PARKFEST’S CALL FOR VENDORS AND VOLUNTEERS!

Summer is rapidly

approaching! Thus, PARKFEST is right

around the corner. If you would like to participate as an individual, a

commercial vendor, food vendor, or non-profit, go to hpnajc.blogspot.com and

download the vendor application. There

are discounts for HPNA members. If you

or your company, would like to sponsor

the event or provide a prize for our raffle, please email hpnaparkfest@gmail.com. We need volunteers now and the weekend of the

event, if you are interested, please email hpnaparkfest@gmail.com.

Have Questions about Park Maintenance,

Safety, Recreation, Clean-ups?

Come to May’s Meeting!

We will have

representatives from Department of Public Works, Recreation, Police, and our own trash and greens groups to discuss how to maintain and keep the parks safe this year.

May 4^th, 7:45 pm at Cordero Elementary School, 9^th and Erie Streets

NEW MEMBERSHIP CARD WILL BE AT THE MAY MEETING!!!!

JOIN the HPNA to support your community! We are creating a new membership card with local business discounts. We have over 15 different businesses participating. To name just a few: Tailor’s Touch, Madame Claude’s Wine Shop, Delenio’s, Parkside Bistro, White Star, Salon X, Smith and Chang’s General Goods, Mastrolia Pharmacy, Holmes Outfitters, Monmouth Street Deli, and Christos. It is only $10 a year per household and you can join for multiple years! Support your neighbors, friends, parks, and community!

FARMER’S MARKET IS BACK!!!

It is starting May 18^th. We currently have all the vendors returning

with the possibility of new ones! We are expanding the season so we are starting if May and hopefully going until December!!! Please come out and support the farmer’s market and see your neighbors after hibernating in your houses all winter. It is on Wednesdays from 4 pm to 8 pm.

Thank You Note for Children’s Donation from the Egg Hunt

I thought I would share a part of the thank you note we received for the children’s collection at the Egg Hunt.

“On behalf of the staff and residents of St. Lucy’s Emergency Shelter, I would like to thank you for your most wonderful and generous donation of soaps, shampoo, and toiletries. Donations support our efforts to provide shelter, meals, clothing and supportive services to many homeless men and women seeking our assistance and are essential to our daily operations of the shelter. … Again thank you so much for thinking of us.”

Check out the hpnajc.blogspot.com or follow us on facebook.

Jersey City Police Non-Emergency Number is 201-547-5477. Program it into your cell phone. It is a faster way to contact the police when on a cell phone as 911 goes to the nearest tower and it may direct it to the county emergency center or another 911 center instead of JC.

April Happenings

The Egg Hunt was a success with a few hundred kids in the park for the hunt and activities. A BIG thank you for Jersey City’s Children’s Theatre performance! Check out their website at http://jcchildrenstheater.org/

Cordero Elementary School came out for Earth Day and did a clean up throughout the park!

Thanks so much for the hard work!

Upcoming Events

May 4th -General Meeting - Park Issues

May 18th – Farmer’s Market Begins 4-8 pm every Wednesday

June 1^st – General Meeting in the park?

June 4^th (rain date June 5^th) LCCS June-A-Polooza

June 11^th (rain date June 12^th)- Parkfest

On-going Issues/Committees

Greens Committee – If you are interested in weeding and keeping the greens areas clean and pretty, the committee will begin in April. Please email Jan at jnord5852@aol.com for more information.

Trash Pick-Up – If you are interested in reducing the trash in the HP, currently the pick-up is twice a week until the warm weather truly starts. Please email Diane at diwebber@verizon.net if you are interested in helping.

Dog Runs. We are looking to start a dog run maintenance group. If you interested, email Jan, jnord5852@aol.com. To join the Google group, go the Google.com and, under Groups, click on Hamilton-Park-Dog-Runs-Group.

Parkfest – We need volunteers!!!! Please email Amy at hpnajc@gmail.com for everything from vendor registration and publicity to day of logistics.

Registration forms are available on hpnajc.blogspot.com or email parkfesthpna@gmail.com.